Highway guard rail



March 9,1943.

HIGHWAY GUARD RAIL Filed Nov. 2, 1938 E. v. CAMP 2,313,220

Patented Mar. 9, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-"6' HIGHWAY GUARD RAIL Eugene V. Camp, Atlanta, Ga. Application November 2, 1938, Serial No. 238,330

14 Claims. (01.

This invention relates to highway guard rails of the general type shown and described in my copending application Serial No. 48,962, filed November 9, 1935, now Patent No. 2,296,419, of which the present application is a continuation in part.

The invention contemplates a trafiic guard comprising a series of supports, withoifset spring connectors passed through said supports and an impact member disposed longitudinally and entirely to one side thereof.

It is further contemplated that the supports may represent flexible resilient metal posts of the same general type disclosed and described in the parent application mentioned above.

An object of my invention is to provide means for uniting various spring connector elements with resilient spring posts and with the plate elements of the assemblies in such a manner as to produce a highly superior composite road guard.

Another object is to provide a spring connector element in a guard rail of the instant type, which connector facilitates and makes easier the erection of the entire assembly.

Another object is to provide means for passing the spring connector element of a road guar through its supporting post.

A still further object is to elaborat upon certain anchoring devices disclosed in said copending application.

Another object is to provide a spring connector and associated elements which simplify the application of tension to a plate type guard rai1.'.

Another object is to provide cheapness of conetructlon and economy in manufacture in highway guard rails embodying the instant invention.

These and other objects made apparent during the further progress of this specification are accomplished by means of my new and improved highway guard rail construction, a full and complete understanding of which is facilitated by reference to the drawing herein, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view illustrating a spring post such as described in said parent case, associated with a spring connector element of the type shown in my Patent No. 1,793,673.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the structure set forth in Fig. 1, taken along the line 2-2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a top sembly in which a post of the type broadly disclosed by said parent case is associated with a spring'connector element of the type illustrated in my said Patent No. 1,793,673, the connector element being formed in two pieces, however, for

plan view of a guard rail aspost.

reasonsmade clear during the further progress of. this specification.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 3, said view disclosing more fully the plate element mounted to said post by said connector.

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of a spring connector element of another type, associated with a spring post, and with a plate member maintained under longitudinal tension at the front of said connector.

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of still another type of spring connector associated with a post of the instant type and with a plate member.

Fig. 8 is a front View of the structure illustrated in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view of a spring post with which is associated anchoring fins of the type illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, excepting, however, that said fins' are placed on the sides of the post instead of to the front and rear thereof.

Fig. 10 is a view of fins of the general type shown in Fig. 9, attached to a conventional wooden post, the purpose and function of such fins being explained in greater detail hereafter.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to that of Fig. 10, in which such fins are used with a circular or round Referring now to the drawing, Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the use of a postof the generic type, disclosed by said parent case, in conjunction with a spring connector ill of the species disclosed in my above-mentioned guard rail patent, said connector being passed between the ends of parallel post members ii and I2 and anchored thereto by means of bolts I3 and l l element II in this instancebeing preferably provided'with a pair of suitable slots l5 through which said bolts operate to permit a sliding action of said rear member under impact, cap 18, for-med by turning the top of i2 rearwardly at right angles, serving to limit the upward movement of l l with relation to l2.

Stabilizing fins l'l,.foot member l8, and spacing'web l9, contribute to the firm positioning of the spring post in the ground, this structure being described in detail in my parent application referred to heretofore. V

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a connector element similar to 19, with the exception that such is formed in two parts, Hiaand liib, same being passed between the ends of parallel post members and anchored thereto by means of bolts 20, which bolts may be loosely attached at first, and an impact member 2| fastened to the ends of Illa and |Ib in a manner well known to the art, after which bolts 28 may be tightened, this operation being eifective to force the arms of the connector element outwardly and thereby place the rail under longitudinal tension, which result is achieved without the difficulty sometimes encountered in installations where the connector is formed in one piece, the arms or wings thereof then having to be distorted to permit attachment of the ends of the rail to said wings.

In Figs. 5 and 6 is disclosed another form of spring connector associated with a post embodying the instant invention, said spring connector being formed in two pieces 22 and 22a, and disposed between the rear and front elements II and I2 of the post, where they are securely held in place by suitable bolts 23. The frontportions of 22 and 22a are formed so as to provide parallel adjacent convex curves 24 when the elements are in operative position, said curves providing a notch or indentation into which the overlapped ends of rail 2| may be drawn by tightening bolts 25, which are passed through a face strap 26, through the ends of the rail plate, and through the lapped ends of said connector, this tighten.- ing serving to place the rail under longitudinal tension and thereby produce a more commercially desirable device.

While in the interests of economy it is desirable to lap and join the ends of rail 2| at the connector element as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, thereby eliminating the necessity of joints in the rail intermediate the supporting posts, it is obvious that the rail need not be lapped at the connector in this manner, but that on the contrary a continuous panel of the rail may be carried past the front of the connector and the face of said rail drawn into the indentation, thereby imparting tension to the rail in the desired manner.

It will be apparent that the lapped ends of connector elements 22' and 22a furnish,a particularly strong spring front, the reentrant curve of which front is of double thickness and strength and accordingly capable of resisting severe impacts, as well as providing a potent structure for drawing in therail to theextreme limits of the indentation as when long panels of rail are being placed in tension.

In Figs. 7 and '8 is disclosed a connector associated with a spring post in the manner taught herein by being, in effect, passed through the post, said connector 21 being fastened to said post by means of bolts 28 and to rail plate 2| by means of bolts 29. If desired, longitudinal tension may be imparted to rail 2| in a conventional manner. The post structure employed in conjunction with spring connectors is preferably that in which the curved concave surfaces of the front and rear elements of the post are disposed in parallel relationship with their curved surfaces adjacent each other, this arrangement better accommodating the curved contour of the connectors; but other desired structure may be employed, either by providing the connectors with a curved surface at their backs complementary to the convex surface of front element l2, or simply anchoring the connector to the post.

While I have described the connectors used in conjunction with the spring posts as preferably passed through said posts, the connectors may be disposed either to the front or the rear of the posts without departing from the broadim 75 ventive concept involved. Further, while I have frequently referred to the connectors as spring connectors and deem such to be a preferred construction in conjunction with guard rails, I do not thereby limit myself, since it is apparent that a rigid connector element may be employed with the spring posts described heretofore, with satisfactory results. In regard to connector elements 22 and 22a, it is apparent that the tension imparted to rail 2| may be varied by the degree to which said rail is drawn into the indentation afforded in the face of said connector elements.

Special attention is now directed to the anchoring fins disclosed in Figs. 9, 10, and 11 of the appended drawing. In said first-mentioned figure, fins Ila. are shown attached to the sides representing a highly of a spring post of the instant type by means of bolts 30 associated with a spacing web such as I9. The height of the fin may depend upon circumstances such as soil condition and the like, a suitable measurement, however, being suggested by elements IT in Figs. 1 and 2.

Now, upon severe impact directed to the spring post, the normal tendency is for same to move rearwardly in the ground. If this movement continues, the post will be knocked out of the ground and the guard rail assembly rendered inoperative and useless; and in order to prevent this, elements Ila are employed, it being apparent that as the post moves the faces of said fins set up an increasing resistance by virtue of distributing the force of the impact laterally as indicated by the arrowsin the drawing (Fig. 9),

s: the result being that a comparatively large section of earth will have to be displaced before the post itself is uprooted. Such a result is particularly important when considered in the light of the fact that guard rails are generally placed as near the outer edge of the shoulders of the grade established to receive the paving slab as is possible, this meaning that such posts are particularly susceptiblefto displacement, and by providing means to reduce and thwart this tendency, a distinct contribution is made to the art.

In Fig. 10 fins I'Ib are shown with an ordinary Wooden post 3|, the'basic action of such a structure insofar as displacement under impact is concerned being the same as in the case of a spring post;

Fig. 11 illustrates fins |'|c, which face the ground at a somewhat lesser angle than do |'|b, associated with a round wooden post '32. Here again the fundamental'principle of operation is the same, the fins serving to drive the earth to the sides under impact, packing same, and requiring the displacement of a much larger body of material in the. movement of the post than would otherwise be the case. In effect the fins increase the effective size of the posts many times.

From the foregoing it is apparent that Ihave disclosed a new and usefulhighway guard rail construction in which spring; connector elements are passed through or otherwiseassociated with a resilient spring post in-such manner as to serve to support the impact rail member in a highly eflicient mannen'the resultant structure modern guard rail, and one in which the maximum of protection .to the traveling motorist is afforded, at, a minimum installation cost.

While 'I have" described: the post herein with considerable detailfI do not intend to thereby limit myself, but on the contrary intend that the appended claims shall be accorded a liberal interpretation and a broad, range of equivalents in keeping with the essence of my invention.

' I claim:

1. A traffic guard comprising a serie of spaced resilient spring posts, a. flexible impact member extending longitudinally of said series of posts, means for securing said impact member to each post including a spring connector secured to the post having a reentrant front face, and means for drawing said impact member into the reentrant face of said connector.

2. A traffic guard comprising a series of spaced resilient spring posts, a flexible impact member extending longitudinally of said posts, means for securing lapped ends of said impact member to each post including a spring connector secured to the post and having a reentrant front face, and means for drawing the lapped ends of said impact member into the reentrant face of said connector, thereby putting said impact member under longitudinal tension.

3. A traffic guard comprising a series of spaced resilient spring supports, a flexible impact member extending longitudinally of said supports, means for securing lapped ends of said impact member to each support including a connector secured to the support and having a reentrant front face, and means for drawing the lapped ends of said impact member into the reentrant face of said connector thereby putting the assembly under longitudinal tension.

4. A traffic guard comprising a series of resilient spring metal posts having front and rear portions, a ring member attached to each of said posts between said front and rear elements, and a rail extending from ring member to ring member.

5. A traffic guard comprising a series of resilient spring metal posts, a ring member attached to each of said posts intermediate front and rear portions thereof, a transverse indentation formed in the front face of each of said ring members, a flexible sheet metal rail extending from ring member to ring member, and means for drawing said rail into each of said indentations for the purpose of imparting longitudinal tension to said rail.

6. A traffic guard comprising a series of resilient spring metal posts having a front and a rear portion, a ring-like member attached to each of said posts intermediate said portions, said ring-lik member being open at its back, and a rail extending from ring member to ring member.

7. A traffic guard comprising a series of resilient spring metal posts having a front and a rear portion, a spring connector attached to each of said posts between said portions, said connector being formed in two pieces, and an impact member extending from connector to connector.

8. A trafiic guard comprising a series of resilient spring metal posts, front and rear portions for said posts, a ring member attached to each of said posts, and a rail member extending from ring member to ring member in operative engagement therewith.

9. A traffic guard comprising a series of resilient spring metal posts, front and rear portions for said posts, a ring-like member attached to each of said posts, said ring-like member being open at its back, and a rail extending from ringlike member to ring-like member in operative engagement therewith.

10. A traffic guard comprising a series of resilient spring metal posts, a ring member attached to each of said posts, a transverse indentation formed in the front face of each of said ring members, a flexible sheet metal rail extending from ring member to ring member, and means for drawing said rail into each of said indentations for the purpose of imparting longitudinal tension to the rail.

11. In a highway guard rail construction including an impact member and supports therefor, stabilizing elements attached, to said supports, said elements comprising Wedge-shaped fins forming an oblique angle with the vertical plane thereof passing through the longitudinal axis of the impact member above, whereby under impact a wedging action is set up in the earth in the direction force is applied, the area of resistance progressively increasing with the movement of the support in the ground.

12. A tramc guard comprising a series of supports, offset spring connectors passed through said supports, and an impact member disposed longitudinally and entirely to one side thereof, said supports being maintained in the ground by means of supporting fins attached to the sides thereof, said fins facing the ground at an oblique angle to the impact member above.

13. A trafiic guard comprising a series of supports, offset spring connectors passed through sa1d supports, and an impact member disposed longitudinally and entirely to one side thereof, one or more of said supports being maintained in the ground through an angular fin attached to the side thereof.

14. A traffic guard comprising a series of supports, offset spring connectors passed through sa1d supports, and an impact member disposed longitudinally and entirely to one side thereof, a support being reinforced in the ground by means of fins attached to the sides thereof, said fins forming an oblique angle with the impact member above whereby the force of an impact to the support is distributed to either side thereof.

EUGENE V. CAMP. 

